Various lasers are being developed which require H.sub.2 and/or D.sub.2 as fuels. Presently, high pressure tank hydrogen and deuterium are being used as sources for these gases. When fully developed and fielded, the lasers cannot use gas storage tanks because of both logistic and safety problems which are inherent with tank stored high pressure hydrogen and deuterium. The most attractive alternative to tank hydrogen is the use of solid propellants which generate hydrogen (deuterium) when ignited and burned. Previous work in this area has involved metal hydrides such as LiAlH.sub.4 or NaBH.sub.4, mixed with an oxidizer, such as Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3,(NH.sub.4).sub.2 SO.sub.4, or (NH.sub.4).sub.2 Cr.sub.2 O.sub.7. These formulations give either pure hydrogen or a combination of hydrogen and nitrogen, and the nitrogen is used as a laser diluent. Minor byproducts from the combustion of these solids should not be laser deactivators. Even in light of the previous work, there is still a need for a solid propellant gas generator that produces or gives off a greater weight percentage of hydrogen or deuterium.
Therefore, an object of this invention is to provide a solid propellant composition capable of generating hydrogen or hydrogen and non-deactivating diluents and/or byproducts that have a much greater weight percentage of hydrogen.
Another object of this invention is to provide a composition and a method for producing deuterium or a mixture of deuterium and non-deactivating diluents and/or byproducts in which the deuterium is of a much greater weight percentage than previous work in this area.
Other objects and advantages of this invention will be obvious to those skilled in this art.